Midget and Maniac
by TrappedByNight
Summary: Levi and Hanji fanfic. Non-romantic and strictly platonic.


**A/N: This is not a romantic fanfiction. It's all platonic, because I just love the dynamics between Levi and Hanji on a friendship basis.**

 **R &R**

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Dirt. Sweat. Blood. The water may have rinsed it all away, but the feeling of being tainted still remains, and he knows that it won't ever go away, just like the dark that will never turn light, the echoes of spiteful words that will never cease, the accusing fingers that will never vanish. The relentless grip guilt has on him will not loosen, not when the pile of dead bodies can only rise higher and higher.

Night air brushes against his skin, cold and biting, as he decides he won't be able to settle into a peaceful sleep tonight. Levi walks down the corridors, his nightly trips to the kitchen making it possible to move about without delay, even in the dark. Yet he feels as though from the corners, something is clawing at him, thirsting for his blood, and many times he's speculated that it's the grim reaper finally taking his soul. Perhaps he'd trip on his own feet, fall and then die of head trauma. But he's still standing when he reaches his destination. No tumbling, no slipping, no tripping.

As expected, it's empty. Levi is aware of the troubled soldiers under his command; he would find them walking up and down the hallways, or on the training grounds in ungodly hours. However, their choice for retreat is never the kitchen because they know that _he_ is there. He feels a tinge of unease at that, not because they don't want to be seen vulnerable and weak, but because they simply refuse to see _him_ vulnerable and weak. It's not their honor and dignity they're protecting but _his_ and the image they've built into him. They can't stand the thought of their captain descending the pedestal they praise every single day, and Levi can't stand the thought of shaming their hope. So an unspoken agreement has been made.

Levi would expertly find his way through the kitchen without looking, still, he lights some candles in hopes that clarity will allow his mind to settle. Heating up some water and adding some herbs, he closes his eyes and meditates to the boiling liquid. The scent of his favorite tea fills the room, bestowing him with the notion that they're at peace now. The dead can rest and the fight is over, if only for today.

The door creaks open, a head pops in.

"No rest for the wicked, huh." An assessment based on experience of sporadically sleepless nights.

She closes the door behind her and Levi acknowledges her presence with a sideways glance as he leans against the counter. He doesn't need to look in order to know what she's rummaging for, head buried in the cabinet. Just like he can't live without tea, coffee is the irresistible beverage that keeps her blood pumping. One could almost say that it's her only sustenance. To the dismay of both Erwin and Levi, Hanji does not come close to the desired intake of proteins and calories, even passing out when she forgets to eat. And then she bases her poor health on the simple logic that her research demands the attention from _every_ fiber of her being. Energy wasted on digesting food would only impair her intellect.

Levi thinks it's a load of crap, but Erwin has long since accepted Hanji's antics. If she works best that way, then he will not be the one to oppose her methods at staying focused. The captain knows a big chunk of that decision relies on the fact that Hanji has only ever made progress up until now and another on the confidence that Levi certainly won't let Hanji starve to death.

 _Crack._ _Crack. Crack._ Death. _Thump!_ Breathe. _Crack._ Bones shattering. Limbs flying. Blood spraying. _CRACK!_ A scream. _"No! No! No! I DON'T WANT TO DIE! I DON'T WANT T–" Splash._ Liver, stomach, intestine scattered. Again. _"LEVI-HEICHOU! HELP!"_ Earsplitting screaming. Screaming. Screaming. Screami– His head whips to the right.

It takes a moment for Levi to realize that he's in the kitchen and that it's the grinding of coffee beans he hears, not the sound of bone splintering. Focusing on the ground, he silently takes in a deep breath, savoring the mixed aroma of tea and coffee. And then he exhales, hoping that his comrade hasn't noticed his retreat into his – he'd call it _crazed_ – tortured mind. But of course she has. Even though her exterior quirky, energetic and sometimes fidgety demeanor leaves ignorant people skeptical, there is a valid reason for Erwin to have appointed her as section commander charged with Titan research. The very nature of her personality to observe and study, meticulously, has earned her the position she has, and she wouldn't stop doing what she does only because the rest of humanity has gone to sleep.

Hanji sets the coffee grinder onto the counter and leans down, pressing her face forward to inspect Levi's calm facade. The captain remains still, not showing any sign of discomfort while she regards him for a _long_ second, a minute at best.

"Ne, Levi..." she begins, the shadows obscuring her features only adding to the dark tone in her voice. Levi feels a heaviness to her stare and a thickness in the air, threatening to choke him as the next words nearly send him reeling back.

"Have you grown taller?" Hanji puts a hand on his head and stares even harder, comparing with invisible measurements she must have made some time ago.

Levi scowls, less effort put into the grim aspect than usual, and leans away from her touch, saying, "you're imagining things." He turns around and pours himself a hot cup of tea, as the tension fades and his muscles ease back into a fairly relaxed state.

"Could have sworn I saw a difference just now," Hanji mutters under a breath and from the corners of his eyes Levi watches her prepare her coffee. If the previous comment had come from any other person, he would have regarded it a tasteless joke, and his glare would have surely squashed that individual like a fly. However, he knows her intention was far from mocking and he appreciates the sentiment.

Levi takes two strides to the table and eases himself into a chair, Hanji mirroring his movements in front of him. They sit quietly, sipping their drinks and enjoying the silence even though it howls at them, echoing pain and despair. But they know it is easier to bear when they're together. Better than tossing and turning in their sheets alone, engaging in a fight that's already passed, yet all too present so long as they keep breathing the air of life.

Hanji can't take it anymore. "Ne, Levi," she disrupts the muted cries.

He looks up from his empty cup. "What?" For some reason the rather gloomy and somber feel to the room has almost again dropped him into the pit.

"Help me capture a titan!"

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 **A/N: I need constructive criticism, so if I made any grammar or spelling mistakes, or if there's anything that did not really fit well, please tell me! Also, I'm not sure whether to make this a series of one-shots, but I'm leaving it incomplete. So when I feel like it, I might post something more of Levi &Hanji (non-romantic). **

**Have a nice day!**


End file.
